Wrench



June 6, 1933. SCHUERLIN 1,912,597

WRENCH Filed Jan. 30, 1931 MINIMUM lNVENTOR BY SW fy ATTORNEY-S Patented June 6, 1933 V UNITED STATES ALOIS SGI-IUERLIN, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN WRENCH Application filed January 30, 1931.

This invention relates to adjustable Wrenches, and particularly to those of the type adjustable by actuation of a thumbscrew in the nature of a worm; having for 5 one of its principal objects provision of means for locking the thumb-screw at will against undesired rotation.

As is well known by persons using such Wrenches, they tend to become out of ad] ust ment if laid aside or if the thumb-screw is touched or unintentionally moved during use of the wrench. It is therefore necessary to frequently re-adj ust the wrench, even when it is being used upon nuts, bolts, or the like, which are of the same size, or repeatedly upon the same object. On the other hand it is necessary that it be possible to easily turn the worm when desired, with a single'finger or thumb. It is therefore an important objeot of my invention to provide such a looking means which will not interfere, when not 11111556, with the free rotatability of the worm, and to provide locking means very easily operable toward either lockedor unlocked position and without necessitating changing the position in which the wrench is normally grasped by the user.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description,

" wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing illusrating a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of an end-adjustable Wrench incorporating my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan viewvof the same.

Figure 3 is a detail fragmentary side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a wrench embodying my improved locking means.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective View of the slidable locking member I preferably employ, and

Figure 5 is an end view of the adjustable worm member taken substantially on'the line 5-5 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing, reference Serial No. 512,331.

character 10 designates the handle portion of an end-adjustable wrench, which, with the exception of the addition of my invention thereto, may be of the usual or any desired construction, being here shown as of the type having a fixed jaw 11, carried by the handle portion, and a movable jaw slidable with. respect thereto and carrying a rack 13 actuated by the hand-operated worm 14 j ournaled upon a pin or screw, as l5.' On one side of the body portion of the wrench, preferably upon the side normally nearest the users thumb when the wrench is grasped in the usual manner, I form a guide slot 16, within which is slidably mounted the controlling member 17, the top surface of which may be knurled as shown in Figure 2 for easy manipulation. The end of the worm 14L nearest the slot 16 is formed with an annular series of cupped depressions or pockets 18, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, which cooperate with a pin .20 slidable in a suitable aperture 21 drilled or otherwise formed in the wrench body between the slot 16 and the opening 22 whereinthe worm 14 is rotatable. The end of thepin 20 is rounded to readily seat in anyof the cupped depressions 18 carried by the worm, and the depressions are shallow enough so that the pin offers no material interference with the free rotatability of the worm unless forced into one of the depres sions with greater force than caused by its own weight. The force required to urge the pin into the depressions with sufficient pressure to lock the worm when desired is sup plied by the leaf spring 23 carried by the slidable member 17, which only engages the pin when slid to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pin being released and the worm therefore free to turn when the slidable member is in other positions, as, for example, that shown in Figure 3. The slidable member 17 may be formed with a central portion of U-contour, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the entire member being slidably held in the slot 16 by engagement of its bight portion with the retaining pin 24, which traverses the slot above the bight. It will thus be seen that it is merely necessary for the operator to slide the member 17 toward the handle of the wrench, which may usually be done most conveniently with the thumb, to lock the wrench in any desired adjusted position, and that upon sliding it in the opposite direction the wrench will function as a normal adjustable Wrench.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiment of my invention herein disclosed is well calculated to adequately fulfill the objects and advantages primarily stated, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a wrench having an adjustable jaw, a manually operable worm for adjusting said jaw having a plurality of relatively shallow depressions therein, and means for locking said worm against undesired rotation, comprising a detent engageable with any of said depressions and capable of detaining said worm when urged thereinto, a slidable controlling member, a spring carried by said slidable member and bodily movable therewith for yieldably forcing said detent into one of said depressions when the slidable member is in one position, and means for manually moving the slidable member to disengage the spring from the detent.

2. In an adjustable wrench, a manually operable worm having a series of relatively shallow depressions therein, and means for locking said worm against undesired rotation, comprising a detent engageable with any of said depressions and capable of detaining said worm when urged thereto, and a slidable member having a spring carried thereby and bodily movable therewith, arranged to yield ably urge said detent into one of said depressions when the slidable member is in one position and to release the same when in another.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

ALOIS SCHUERLIN. 

